The present invention is directed to a shedding apparatus for the circular weaving of multi-harness fabrics and more specifically to a wire divider in the form of a rod extending across the entire fabric width and located between the first heddle frame and the reed which enables circular weaving with the same number of heddle frames as with flat weaving. The present invention is also directed to the method of using the apparatus.
In ordinary practice, the number of heddles of a fabric weave is limited by the number of heddle frames which can be accommodated in the apparatus. The number of heddle frames could not be increased as desired because with a given angle of shed opening, the lift of each additional heddle frame would become extraodinarily great. This is particularly true for circular weaving looms having a great number of heddles since the weft wire is passed alternately through the upper fabric half and through the lower fabric half so that twice the number of heddles is required. For example, in a 7-harness weave, 14 heddle frames would be required. The difficulties grow for the circular weaving of multi-ply fabrics, for example multi-ply screens for paper making machines. For example, 28 heddle frames would be required for the circular weaving of a two-ply screen for a paper making machine having a 7-harness weave according to conventional methods. However, modern looms for the circular weaving of screens for paper making machines have only 17 heddle frames at the most.